5. Verbs ending in -eln

In the present tense, German verbs whose infinitive stem ends in -eln form their present tense by removing the -n of the stem and adding the normal endings. Note however:

 

that the -e of the stem is omitted in the first person singular - i.e. ich klingle, ich sammle

that the "wir" ending on such verbs is -n, not -en

that the formal "Sie" ending is also -n

that the third person plural ending is also -n, not -en

Other verbs with a stem in ending in -eln include:

 

A-E: abwiegeln (to calm down), ähneln (to resemble), angeln (to go fishing), anzetteln (to instigate), aufwiegeln (to stir up), basteln (to make things with your hands), baumeln (to dangle), behandeln (to treat), bemängeln (to find fault with), besiegeln (to seal), blinzeln (to blink), bröckeln (to crumble), bügeln (to iron), bummeln (to stroll), einkesseln (to encircle), ekeln (to disgust), entwickeln (to develop), entwurzeln (to uproot), erdrosseln (to throttle), ermitteln (to determine)

 

F-M: fesseln (to tie, to bind), frösteln (to shiver), fummeln (to fiddle, to fumble), gipfeln (to culminate), grübeln (to brood), gruseln (to give the creeps), gurgeln (to gargle, to gurgle), hageln (to hail), häkeln (to crochet), handeln (to act), hätscheln (to pamper), heucheln (to be a hypocrite), hobeln (to plane), humpeln (to hobble, to limp), hüsteln (to cough slightly), jobeln (to yodel), jubeln (to celebrate), kitzeln (to tickle), klingeln (to ring), knebeln (to gag), kränkeln (to be poorly), kribbeln (to tickle), kritzeln (to scribble), lächeln (to smile), mäkeln (to carp, to cavil), mangeln (to lack), maßregeln (to reprimand), mogeln (to cheat), murmeln (to murmur)

 

N-S: nieseln (to drizzle), nörgeln (to moan, to crumble), pendeln (to swing; to commute), pinseln (to paint), prügeln (to beat), rätseln (to rack your brains), regeln (to regulate), rodeln (to toboggan), runzeln (to wrinkle), rütteln (to shake), sammeln (to collect), satteln (to saddle), schaufeln (to shovel), schaukeln (to rock, to sway), schimmeln (to go mouldy), schlafwandeln (to sleepwalk), sich schlängeln (to wind its way, to snake), schmeicheln (to flatter), schmuggeln (to smuggle), schmunzeln (to smile), schnüffeln (to sniff, to snuffle), schütteln (to shake), schwindeln (to feel dizzy; to con), segeln (to sail), spiegeln (to reflect, to mirror), sprudeln (to bubble, to fizz), stammeln (to stammer), stempeln (to stamp; to postmark), straucheln (to stumble), streicheln (to caress, to stroke)

 

T-Z: tadeln (to blame), taumeln (to stagger, to sway), trampeln (to stamp your feet), trödeln (to dawdle), trommeln (to drum), tröpfeln (to drip), sich tummeln (to romp about), tuscheln (to whisper), übersiedeln (to move, to migrate), umkrempeln (to turn up), verdoppeln (to double), verdunkeln (to darken), vereiteln (to thwart, to foil), verhandeln (to negotiate), verwandeln (to change, to transform), verwechseln (to confuse), wackeln (to wobble, to shake), wandeln (to walk; to stroll), wechseln (to change), wedeln (to wag), wickeln (to wind, to wrap), wimmeln (to swarm, to teem), winseln (to whimper), zerbröckeln (to crumble), zündeln (to play with fire), zweifeln (to doubt).

 

 

This group of -eln verbs also include a small number of verbs recently imported from English. They include canceln (to cancel), googeln (to use Google) and puzzeln (to do a jigsaw).